Jay Eli Casselman, 90, of Sherwood Township, passed away surrounded by his family Tuesday, November 5, 2019 under the care of Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan.
A memorial service celebrating Jay’s life will be held at 12:00 PM on Saturday, November 16, 2019 at Crossroads Bible Church in Sherwood with Pastor Trent Hammond officiating. Visitation will take place just prior to the service from 11:00 AM until 12:00 PM at the church.
Jay was born on August 4, 1929 in Paw Paw, MI to Jay and Lucy (McDougal) Casselman. His family moved to Factoryville when he was 10 years old and he continued to live nearby for the remainder of his life.
On August 12, 1950, he married the former Roberta Cousins in LaGrange, IN. They did everything together, including spending summers in South Haven and wintering in Florida and Alabama after Jay retired from Post Cereals following 35 years of employment.
A skilled mechanic and carpenter, Jay was excellent at building and fixing things. He was also an avid fisherman, both inland and on Lake Michigan. There were not too many lakes around that he hadn’t fished. He also enjoyed attending county fairs, never missing a tractor pull if he could help it. Jay was forever on the go and a lot of fun. He enjoyed dining out, watching younger family members’ sporting events and picking on the people he liked.
He was a member of the Sherwood Masonic Lodge and Crossroads Bible Church. Faith and family remained Jay’s primary focus.
Jay is survived by his wife of 69 years, Roberta; his children, Dixie (David) Lash, Dan (Diana) Casselman and Susan (Merle) Melendy, all of Sherwood; eight grandchildren, Greg, Jayson, Scott, Steve, Amy, Malinda, Gary and Wally; and 15 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Merriellis Repke; a daughter, Rose Anne Casselman; and infant grandson, Daniel J. Casselman Jr.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are suggested to Crossroads Bible Church / Operation Christmas Child, 1144 Dunks Road, Sherwood, MI 49089 or to Hospice Care of S.W. Michigan, 227 N. Kalamazoo Mall, Suite #100, Kalamazoo, MI 49007.
